Update

Hello everyone! We've been so busy here that I haven't had time recently to post anything.  So here's an update on the past week! On Monday we had our classes and electives as usual, and the theme for photography was black and white with a high ISO.  At first I had no idea what that meant but after transferring the photos onto my computer I saw the amazing effect.  All of the photos had a grainy quality and looked like film, which I absolutely loved.  We took lots of cool photos that way in the old village of Nice where there are many touristy shops and art workshops.  On Tuesday we spent the entire day in Nice, including classes which took place at the market (flowers, art, and food) on the famous Cours Saleya.  We walked through the market in small groups taking note of regional specialties, taking lots of photos, and even buying some gifts. We had lots of free time to shop and walk around, and we met around 6 to have dinner together.  After that we took a train to Villefranche to see Rock of Ages, or in French: Rock Forever, outside dubbed in French.  It was definitely an interesting experience! I was happy that I understand more than I thought I would and the movie itself was not bad.  We got home very late (around 1), so classes started at 10 the next day instead of at 9.  Another treat on Wednesday was the cancellation of our electives and a trip to Cannes instead! We all enjoyed some relaxing beach time and pizza for dinner like last time.  Thursday was yet another fun day. After classes we all took the train to Villefranche for some more low key beach time and snorkeling! I was in the first group to go snorkeling.  We went about 10 minutes out from the beach on a boat with 3 instructors and were equipped with wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and flippers.  We saw octopi (one of them inked!), jellyfish, sea urchins, a starfish, and of course lots of small fish.  It was tiring but a beautiful sight, and we rewarded ourselves with ice cream afterwards.  We had dinner with our families, and my homestay mom Delphine took Birte and I to her friends house for dinner.  I've gotten used to late French dinners, but I was surprised that it was already midnight when we left! The next day (Friday) was typical, except we came back from photo in Nice earlier because we were having dinner and a soirée at le Centre Nautique with the students from Nice as well.  We had dinner by the beach and there were lots of pictures and dancing afterwards! Yesterday we went to San Remo, Italy.  It was my first time to Italy so I was super excited. My friends and I walked around the town, and you probably know I'm going to say this but we got gelato and it was the best I've had in my life.  After exploring for about 2 hours we went back to the beach and spent the rest of the day swimming and relaxing after a hectic week.  We had a great Italian dinner (bruschetta, pasta, tiramisu!) at a restaurant on the beach, and then we each discovered our inner child and played on the playground on the beach! Today our rendez-vous is at 1:30 at the train station to go to Antibes for the Musée Picasso, free time, and a picnic on the beach. Excited!

Black and white Nice:

The market:

Villefranche:

More Nice:

Maggie and Kate

Me and my Southern belles!

Ali, Maxime (photo teacher), and me

Italy:

Bastille Day Celebrations

I always thought that Bastille Day in France (July 14) was the equivalent of the 4th of July in the USA! It turns out that the French aren't nearly as patriotic as Americans.  On both the 13th and 14th after dinner, our group went to the beach to see the fireworks (which were both nights!) and the live music playing on the boardwalk.  The fireworks were beautiful and the music was typical cheesy celebration music that everyone loves. We had lots of fun both nights, but noticed that there were barely any young people around.  We seemed to be one of the few groups of teenagers walking around and dancing. We asked some of our counselors why that is, and they said that maybe it was because France is a much older country than America is.  They also added that they don't really care about Bastille Day either! I wonder if that is the reason, or if perhaps it's just because we're in a smaller town and most of the young people are away on vacation or at camp.  I was definitely expecting something different than we got, but it was fun to be together regardless!

Trips to Nice!

Every time the photography class goes to Nice, we get to see even more parts of the amazing city.  Most recently, we climbed up to Le Château de Nice for the spectacular panoramic view of the city and the sea.  Although it was one of the hottest days yet, we appreciated the view after resting for a couple of minutes and drinking some water.  The water is a truly unreal blue, and when you look over the city it looks like it has come out of a story book! After coming back down to street level (by elevator!) we walked through some of the old village where there are many art shops, touristy stores, and places to get food.  I've really enjoyed getting to visit Nice so often, however we haven't gotten to hear about it's history at all.  That's why our teachers are planning an excursion to Nice for next Tuesday which will include history, beach time, and some free time to explore.  I'm so excited!

It's even more blue in real life!

Claudia, me, Olivia, and Ali

The St. Laurent photography group!

St. Jean Cap Ferrat

On Tuesday after lunch, we went to a beautiful town called St. Jean Cap Ferrat for a cooking workshop and some beach time! Each course was made by a different group (our French class groups).  Group 1 made the main course, group 2 made the salad, and group 3 (my group) made the desserts.  While the others were cooking, we got to lay out on the gorgeous beach and swim in the sea.  It was the first rock beach we went to and we loved it.  The water was the perfect temperature, and for some reason the water was particularly salty.  It made for some nice bonding and relaxing time with the whole group! When my group went it, different people were assigned to make different desserts.  Samantha, Claudia, and I made a delicious tarte aux pommes.  We had dinner in the small restaurant where we cooked the food, with a view of the Mediterranean Sea.  Instead of taking the bus to the train station (as we did on the way there), we walked along the path by the sea and took in the amazing sunset over the sea.  Here are the photos!

Tarte aux pommes before...

Tarte aux pommes after!

The always fashionable Sirine

The view on the way to the train station

St. Paul de Vence

Last weekend we visited a smaller village called St. Paul de Vence where we went to a museum of modern art called la Fondation Maeght and had free time in the old village.  I loved la Fondation Maeght! There were sculptures outside on the lawn, pools of water around the premises, and an airy feel inside the building.  It was a very peaceful place and I enjoyed looking at the the various types of art there.  Unfortunately we couldn't take any photos there without paying a ridiculous amount of money, but trust me it was beautiful! After an hour or two at the museum, we walked up a hill to the old village of St. Paul de Vence for some free time.  There are lots of cute old towns in French villages, but this is by far the cutest one I've ever seen.  The narrow streets are of course cobblestone, there are flowers and ivy growing all over the buildings, the doors are old and beautiful, and most of the shops are authentic art workshops or boutiques run by one family.  There are also spectacular viewpoints throughout the village.  Here are some photos!

The view walking up to the old village

The old village!

The Olivia's being silly!

Me and Olivia

Hélène et Vanessa

Le petit chien!

Me and Lucie

Monaco photos

The photography class has been lucky enough to go to Monaco twice already! It's about a 40 minute ride on the train from St. Laurent du Var, and there you are in Monte Carlo. Here are photos from the two times we were there:

Cool mirror artwork in Monte Carlo

The casino! 

The train station in Monte Carlo.

The view of Monte Carlo from the area around le Palais Princier de Monaco. 

The St. Laurent photography kids

Buddha Bar!

The view of the sea in Monte Carlo. 

Cooking with the family

At our first meal together, Delphine and Alex made it clear that food is very important to them, and you can definitely tell! Everything they make is delicious and is a mix of French, Italian, and Spanish cuisine.  In Europe food isn't just about eating, but also enjoying and socializing.  Whenever we're home in time, Birte and I help Delphine or Alex make dinner and Alma usually helps with something little as well.  Before the main  meal, we all sit down for an apéritif of some juice and nuts or chips and start talking about our days or in what ways France is different from America.  After le plat principal, we have some fruit, bread, and cheese and continue to sit together at the table.  Our conversations are always interesting and the food is always amazing! About two days ago, my roommate and I decided that our family's food was so good that we had to start writing down recipes. So far we have recipes for quiche, taboulé, and la tortilla (an Italian sort of omelet eaten at lunch or dinner).  Here are some photos and a video of us preparing la tortilla!